LeBron and the Weight of Expectation

Nike has been on fire with their recent advertising. Their latest triumph comes in the form of a very dark and intimate look into what superstar LeBron James has been going through these past few months. For those of you in the dark, NBA superstar LeBron James left Cleveland, his longtime home, in favor of signing with the Miami Heat. Since high school, LeBron has been considered the savior of the NBA. His name has become synonymous with a messianic figure: up-and-coming baseball star Bryce Harper is referred to as “LeBryce” by nearly everyone in sports. His move to Miami in some ways revealed his desire to escape this burden, choosing instead to play basketball with his friends and fellow superstars Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh.

The caption for this commercial reads, “This isn’t about what LeBron James has done, or hasn’t done. This is about the difference between the expectations others may have of him versus the expectations he has of himself.” If this commercial is truly a glance into James’ psyche, which I believe it is, it shows the weight that he has borne all this time, and his desire to escape this burden. LeBron is only human; he can’t live up to his own expectations, much less the expectations of the world.

I just found out that the tattoo that he references in the commercial (about whether he should get it removed) says "Chosen1". Getting that tattoo is a pretty bold move (understatement), but talking about getting it removed is probably the clearest picture of his desire to escape this mold.

Demmon, that would make sense. I don't follow pro sports much but my son does. I tried to show him old footage of Jordan, my pick for the greatest ever, in his prime my son mostly noticed that "everybody back then wore short-shorts" and then he matter of factly added "Jordon wasn't as good as Lebron is". Kind of a poignant moment for me– end of an era. I played high school and college hoops back in the 80's– "There is a time and season to everything". If you are too young to remember Len Bias who played for the Maryland Terrapins when Jordan was a UNC– go to wikipedia and read up on him. He may have been every bit as good or better than Jordan or Lebron.

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About

WHAT: Mockingbird seeks to connect the Christian faith with the realities of everyday life in fresh and down-to-earth ways.

WHY: Are we called Mockingbird? The name was inspired by the mockingbird’s peculiar gift for mimicking the cries of other birds. In a similar way, we seek to repeat the message we have heard – God’s word of grace and forgiveness.

HOW: Via every medium available! At present this includes (but is not limited to) a daily weblog, weekly podcasts, a quarterly print magazine, semi-annual conferences, and an ongoing publications initiative.

WHO: At present, we employ four full-time staff, David Zahl, Ethan Richardson, Margaret Pope and CJ Green, and four part-time, Sarah Condon, Bryan Jarrell, Luke Roland and Marcy Hooker. They are helped and supported by a large number of contributing volunteers and writers. Our board of directors is chaired by The Rev. Aaron Zimmerman.

WHERE: Our offices are located at Christ Episcopal Church in Charlottesville, VA.

WHEN: Mockingbird was incorporated in June 2007 and is currently in its 12th year of operation.

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